Butterfly Encased in Ice
by P1Bres
Summary: Finding a cursed mask was just the start of Jihei and friends' problems...
1. Snow Queen

**A/N: ****I'm restarting this for... reasons. Also all I can write rn is a novelization I feel which is... hoo boy. Anyway, hope anyone who reads this enjoys!**

* * *

So this was the apparently cursed mask, huh…? Jihei looked it over and swore, for just a moment, it felt warm. How odd…

He looked around the room with a frown. Maybe this was actually a bit of a waste of time… He'd needed to tell Ayase and Himeno to not plug up that hole, for Nanjo and Inaba's sake… But it was so easy for him to get distracted…

"Well, guess I can take this with me." He shrugged, putting it under his arm and making for the door. Maybe it would come in handy…? Jihei could always throw it at demons, should he decide to venture out after Nanjo and Inaba…

He stepped out and a teacher nearly pounced on him. "Oh, Jihei! You're still here?!"

"...I was looking for something."

The teacher sighed, tired of his absent-minded antics. "I'm closing off the gym. You should head to the main building."

"Why-"

"The demons, of course!" He shook his head. "I haven't heard of any demons getting in, yet, but who knows when they will?"

"Oh…" Jihei nodded. "Yeah, that's a fair point." He shuffled, moving the mask into his hands. It was getting uncomfortable where he'd left it…

Seemed the teacher noticed it, too, going pale. "Hey… where did you get that mask…? ...Nah, it can't be the same one. Anyway, you should get out of here."

With that, he was booted out of the gym. Fine, then… He didn't need to get sidetracked again anyway…

He pushed through the door, and was greeted by Mayuzumi and Ayase. He turned his head towards the hole in the wall and, for a moment, his eyes went wide. There was Inaba and… Sonomura? Sonomura, looking much healthier than she had at the hospital earlier.

"Hey Masao!" Mayuzumi stepped towards the pair. "Wait!"

Ayase followed behind Mayuzumi, holding onto her arm. "You don't even know if that really is Maki!"

But Inaba and Sonomura (if it really was Sonomura) disappeared out the hole. It was only then that Mayuzumi and Ayase even seemed to notice he was there, Ayase turning towards him first.

"Omigod, Jihei!" She ran from Mayuzumi's side to grab his arm. "Masao's in big trouble!"

"What's going on…?" He looked towards Mayuzumi, remembering Kirishima's earlier comment about Ayase not being the… best at explaining things coherently.

"Kei was hurt, so Masao, Hidehiko, and Eriko brought him back here." Mayuzumi sighed, glancing at the hole. "But then…"

"Maki showed up out of nowhere!" Ayase cut Mayuzumi off with quite the yell. "Isn't she supposed to be in the hospital!?"

"...I saw here there just today. Mayuzumi was with me…" He bit his lip, sharing a look with the taller girl.

Ayase groaned, gripping her pigtails and tugging on them. "Something's seriously wrong here!"

"Calm down, Ayase… It'll be okay…" He watched as Mayuzumi walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll-"

"I heard Masao came back!" Ms. Takami came running in, cutting Jihei off mid-thought.

"Y-yeah, but…" Mayuzumi looked down, almost as if ashamed. From there, she went on to explain what had happened as Ms. Takami walked over and joined their little group, arms crossed as she listened.

"So he and Maki went outside together?" The worry on her face was clear as she moved towards the hole. "Oh, I have to bring them back!"

"Wait, Ms. Saeko!" Mayuzumi cut her off, blocking the exit from her. "If something happens to you, what'll the gang here do? Let us go instead!"

Oh, Jihei had been about to offer to go out on his own… Great minds think alike, he guessed.

"Oh, good point, Yukino!" Her shoulders slumped a bit as she nodded. "Thanks..."

"Maybe this'll help us save them, too…" Jihei held up the mask. "I can throw it at demons or something, it's pretty pointy."

Mayuzumi gave him a look. "Jihei…"

"Hm? What's that you have there, Jihei…?" Ms. Takami turned towards him, head tilted to the side, eyes widening. "That… that mask…!"

"Oh, you know it?" The principal had mentioned Ms. Takami when explaining things.

"Goodness…" She put a hand to her chest. "I didn't think it was still lying around here."

"Here you go…" He handed it over when it became clear Ms. Takami wanted to see it closer.

A small, almost sad smile played at her lips as she looked at it. "It reminds me of my high school days… I wore this mask when I was in a play called, "The Snow Queen.""

_Once upon a time, there was an evil demon. And one day, this demon made a mirror. The mirror blurred out the beautiful things of the world and made the ugly things clear. The demon climbed to Heaven, intending to do mischief to God with the mirror, but the mirror broke on the way up. The countless splinters it broke into rained down upon the earth._

_And that is how it all began._

_There lived a boy named Kay and a girl named Gerda, and the two were close friends. But one day, tiny splinters of the mirror got into Kay's eyes and heart. The splinters caused Kay's heart to grow cold and his eyes to see only ugly things. He even began to tease Gerda, whom he cared so much for._

_On a snowy winter day… A big white sleigh appeared in front of Kay, who was playing with his sled at the market square. And the beautiful woman on the white sleigh took him away. Little did he know that the woman was the Snow Queen!_

_That was how Kay came to the Snow Queen's Ice Castle, far to the north._

_Gerda learned of Kay's disappearance, and despite her sorrow, she decided to embark on a journey to find him. Along the way, she overcame many hardships and obstacles with the warm help of the people she met._

_At last, Gerda's love for Kay and her unwavering courage led her to the Ice Castle._

_What Gerda saw at the end of her journey was the half-frozen Kay, who had forgotten her completely. Gerda's warm tears gently covered him, melting his heart. Upon regaining himself, Kay burst into tears, washing away the splinter of the mirror in his eye._

_Hand in hand, the two left the Ice Castle… And lived at home happily ever after._

Ayase whistled as she got a look. "It's a neat-looking mask."

Ms. Takami nodded. "Yes, but some say it's cursed."

A lot of people did, if Jihei's snooping meant anything… But he'd keep that to himself.

Ms. Takami's expression fell into one of melancholy as she stared at the mask. "...I guess I can see why. It's because of this that my friend was…"

"C-C'mon, Ms. Saeko!" Ayase covered her ears, distressed. "Cut it out! We've got enough to be scared of…" After a moment, she straightened and pointed. "That mask gives me the creeps! Why don't you just throw it away?"

"Oh, sorry about that!" Ms. Takami went back to her usually cheer as she looked to Ayase. "It's just a silly school legend. "Whoever wears it dies"? Ha! I wore it and I'm okay, aren't I?"

Jihei bit his lower lip. "...I guess, but it rubs me the wrong way too…"

"See?" She gestured towards Ayase and Jihei's worry. "So it's better if I went looking for those two!" She placed the mask on her face, shocking the trio of students. "I've got lady luck on my side!"

For a moment, there was silence, before a gasp escaped Ms. Takami, putting Mayuzumi on edge. What followed was the most bloodcurdling scream Jihei had heard since, well, he guessed the hospital.

"Ms. Saeko!?" Mayuzumi lunged, grabbing the teacher by her arms. "What's wrong!?"

Ayase whimpered, moving behind Jihei. "Wh-What's going on!?"

Before Jihei or Mayuzumi could say much of anything else, to Ayase or Ms. Takami, a blinding white light filled the passageway. Before he knew it, Jihei was out cold…

* * *

When he woke up, he was no longer in the passageway. Instead, he was in the courtyard, now covered in ice that had definitely not been there before… Ayase and Mayuzumi were on the ground, too… Were they…?

"Owww…" Ayase pulled herself off the ground. Okay, good, they weren't dead. "Huh? Uh… where am I?"

Mayuzumi was the next to stand, face scrunching in confusion as she looked around. "Hey… This is the courtyard! What the hell's going on here!?"

Ayase began to look around, eyes widening as she pointed behind Mayuzumi. Jihei followed her finger and… holy shit. "Whoa! Look!"

Standing there was Ms. Takami, the mask still on her face. A hand rested on her hip as she stared at them, silent… Something was wrong with her, too cold to really be their teacher.

"Ms. Saeko!" Mayuzumi ran towards her, only to be pushed back, as if by a force.

As she fell to her knees, Ayase and Jihei ran to her side. Ice pillars grew from the ground, placing their teacher (or, at least, her body, Jihei noted) in a square of sorts.

"What the-?!"

A laugh escaped Ms. Takami, not like her usual warm one. This one was… full of malice. "Finally! I've been waiting so long!"

Mayuzumi's brow furrowed, confusion and worry clear. "Ms. Saeko…?"

"Saeko? Oh… I see what's happening. Poor Saeko" She turned her head away, another chuckle escaping her, this one more malicious than the last.

"Huh?" Mayuzumi's brow furrowed further. "But you are Saeko! Are you okay!? Did you hit your head or something?"

""I wore it, and I'm okay," eh?" The laughter became almost hysterical, yet she didn't move an inch. "That's the Saeko I remember so well. Self-confident, self-centered… She'd step on anyone to get to be the center of attention."

Mayuzumi shook her head. "What's wrong with you?! Stop with the jokes 'cause they aren't funny!"

"Jokes? Look around you." Whoever this was… They were finding this way too amusing for Jihei's taste. "...you think this is a joke?"

"...Sure seems like a bad one to me." He grumbled it under his breath, not wanting to be heard in case it made things head… south.

"Beautiful, isn't it? A peaceful, perfectly still landscape." She gestured around before extending a hand to them. "You'll all be dressed in ice and stay beautiful forever. So come on over…"

Ayase stepped forward, annoyance clear on her face. "What are you saying!? You're our teacher! This is just…"

"Oh, what a lovely girl." She turned her hand directly towards Ayase. "Come closer, girl, and I'll give you ageless beauty."

Mayuzumi sprung to her feet, brandishing her razors. "Don't do it, Yuka!" She looked back at Jihei, sending him a worried look. "It's the mask… It must have taken her over!"

"...Guess it really was cursed?"

Mayuzumi let out a frustrated sigh before looking back to the masked Ms. Takami. "Okay, monster, you lay one finger on Ms. Saeko and your ass is grass!"

""Taken her over"? That's not very nice." She turned her face towards Jihei. "Tell me, who was it who undid the seal on the mask?"

Fuck… That was him.

She gestured to the body. "Who put it on without thinking twice? Not to mention…" She clicked her tongue. "Isn't it rude to go around calling people monsters? I think I'd prefer… the Snow Queen. Very fitting for this mask, isn't it?"

Almost too fitting, all things considered…

"Can it!" Mayuzumi shook her head, furious. "What do you want with Ms Saeko!?"

"What a reckless young lady." Another click of the tongue. "Your teacher is going to be… a sacrifice."

Ayase paled. "A… A sacrifice?"

"Yes, that's right. Saeko is so full of hope. If I offer her as a sacrifice..." The outstretched hand joined the other in a flourishing movement. "The stillness of despair - the Eternal Night - is sure to descend."

Ayase blinked, confusion overtaking her features. "Huh…? Does that mean everyone's gonna get frozen? I hate being cold!"

"That's not gonna happen!" Mayzumi took a step forward and Jihei was shocked the ice didn't crack under her foot. "I'm taking back Ms. Saeko, right now!"

"Well, aren't you brave?" She wrapped her arms around her - Ms. Takami's - waist. "Fine… you can have her. But Saeko will remain frozen as long as she has this mask on. So will the school."

Then maybe they should leave? Regroup and come back with Inaba and Sonomura as back up-

"And don't think you can leave. You'll see what I mean if you walk around a little." Well damn, there went that plan. "There's no escape. You only have two choices… Welcome the Eternal Night, or take the mask off Saeko."

Ayase grimaced. "Okay, but like, how do we do that?"

The reply she earned was more laughter. "Keep fighting it. Nothing's more beautiful than despair after a struggle. I can't wait to bask in your beautiful despair…"

"Hey!" Oh, Ayase wasn't happy. "I asked you a question!"

But then, Ms. Takami's body froze over, still hugging herself… Jihei had a bad feeling, could she actually survive this?

A gasp escaped Mayuzumi as she took yet another step forward. "Ms. Saeko!"

A voice rang through the air. "Watch it, or Saeko and the mask will both shatter into smithereens. I still have a few rituals to perform, so there is still time before the Eternal Night. Why don't we pass the time with a game?"

"A game?!"Mayuzumi grit her teeth and Jihei moved to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mayuzumi. I'm good at games."

"That doesn't reassure me, Jihei!"

"The school is now a castle of ice." The voice ignored them and continued her speech. "There are three towers, each with a guardian. If you can defeat them before the clocks of each tower strikes twelve… I'll turn Saeko and the school back to normal.

Fine by Jihei, it was game time…

"I must leave this mask now and prepare to call down the Eternal Night. I hope you enjoy yourselves while I'm gone…" A nasty giggle. "...I'll see you later."

"Hey, wait!" Ayase shook her head. "Don't leave! Omigod… Wh-What're we gonna do?!"

"Let's just think about it… If we just go for the towers-"

Ayase turned to him with a glare and frown. "This is all your fault, Jihei! If you never found that stupid mask, this wouldn't have happened! You better own up! Are you a man or not!? Say something!"

Jihei flinched away, she wasn't giving him much of a chance to say anything…

"Stop it, Yuka! Pointing fingers won't help the situation any." Mayuzumi shook her head, sending Jihei a sorry look. "It's not like Jihei knew what was gonna happen."

Ayase frowned. "But Yukki…"

Reality seemed to almost… shift for a moment. It confused Jihei, but also reminded him of something, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what at the moment…

"Whoa!" Ayase braced herself. "What was that !?"

They turned to look for the source and… of course! That butterfly!

"That thing again…" Mayuzumi sounded wary as she shared a look with Jihei.

"Huh…? "Again"...?" Ayase furrowed her brow as she pushed to stand between the two. Before Jihei could try and explain, however, his vision went white.

_In front of him was, once again, that man, Philemon. The one who granted him the power of Persona…_

_"A moment, please…" He began to talk, and Jihei felt he didn't have much choice but to indulge him. "You are angry and frustrated, but that will not rescue your teacher."_

_He glanced to the side, frowning when he saw the way the words made Mayuzumi flinch._

_"There is only one way to do that. The Demon Mirror. It can remove the source of the mask's curse."_

_For a moment, Jihei's hopes were raising… Then Philemon continued to speak._

_"However the Snow Queen has shattered it." He made a gesture and, in his hand appeared the frame for it, at least. "The twelve shards are scattered amongst three towers. Take this mirror frame with you, fit the mirror shards you find into it. If you gather enough shards to reflect your teacher, she can be saved."_

_Jihei took the frame and nodded. "We… we can do that."_

_Philemon nodded. "There isn't much time… I pray for your success."_

When they came to again, Mayuzumi was the first to speak. "So our job's to find the Mirror Shards and put them in this frame, huh?"

"Um, Yukki." Ayase turned towards the other girl. "You know the towers are guarded by demons, right? Aren't we a little, y'know, shorthanded?"

Mayuzumi shrugged. "You can stay here if you want. We won't force you to come, not when we don't know what we're up against."

Jihei simply nodded in agreement.

"Uh, no… I meant… It's just…" Ayase bit her lip, words tumbling out half finished.

"I'll do whatever it takes to save Ms. Saeko." Mayuzumi looked towards the frozen teacher. "I used to be a lousy delinquent. Even my parents gave up on me… but not her. She never gave up on me. Ever."

Jihei put a hand to his chest. "Mayuzumi."

"Now it's my turn to help her, and my…" She flexed her fingers. "Expertise can be put to a good cause."

"Hey, Yukki…" Ayase approached Mayuzumi, grabbing her arm. "You're not planning on leaving me here alone, are you…? 'Cause I'm going with you! I feel much safer around you and Jihei!"

Mayuzumi snapped out of her serious demeanor for a second, softening towards Ayase. "Sure… whatever floats your boat. If we get stuck in a bad situation, I'm sure you'll help him lighten the mood."

Ayase nodded, grinning and pulling out… Was that a pistol!? Jihei held up his hands, taking a step back.

"Hey!" Mayuzumi took a step of her own back. "Holy crap, Yuka, where did you get a gun?!"

"Kei gave it to me?" She smiled, sticking out her tongue. "Him and Masao went to the police station for some weapons." Her expression fell, just a bit. "But Kei got hurt, so they came back to school. He handed me some guns and said to hold on to them while he went to the nurse… So I kept one for myself!"

"...You just kept one?" Jihei rose an eyebrow.

Ayase nodded with a giggle. "I always wanted to try shooting one of these things!"

Mayuzumi and Jihei shared a suffering look. What were they supposed to say to that? Especially when she was waving the gun around?

A gust of wind, thankfully, delivered them a way out of this conversation.

"Gah! The wind's picking up! Brr, it's coooooold… My ears hurt! C'mon, let's go inside, quick!" Ayase started for the door and, well, Mayuzumi and Jihei didn't have much of a choice other than to follow.

"Yeah, standing around here won't do anyone any good." As they made for the door, Mayuzumi looked at the other two. "Y'think the three of us can handle the demons and get those Mirror Shards…?"

Jihei shrugged. "Maybe?"

"I dunno, maybe we should grab a couple more people, like Yuka said."

"Sure, sure, but let's get inside!" She pushed open the door. "I'm freezing to death here!"

As Jihei stepped out, he noticed Mayuzumi pause for a moment, once again looking at their frozen teacher.

"Ms. Saeko… We'll be back for you."


	2. Recruitment

The first room Jihei entered was the library. Kurouri was usually wrong, but… He'd been right about the Snow Queen Curse, right? Maybe he'd be useful to take along or something?

...But then he saw Kirishima. She knew the occult well and could fight, maybe she would be a better bet?

"How goes it, Tsutomu?" She looked up from a book in front of her. "Did you discover anything?"

Kurouri's usual strange laugh escaped his lips. "Of course, Eriko. This temperature…"

A pause came and Jihei leaned forward. _Come on, Kurouri, this is your chance to break out of the occult boy who doesn't actually know anything mold…!_

"... is not due to a cold front!" Really? "I'm ninety percent sure." Oh god…

Kirishima's smile looked a mix of stunned and annoyed as she stared at Kurouri.

"I'm sorry…" He shook his head. "But I came up empty. None of the books mention this kind of thing at all."

Huh, Jihei was even more sure that Kirishima would be a better bet in all of this.

"Oh… is that so?" Kirishima looked towards a strange door in the back of the library, placing a hand against it and letting it run down. "Then I'll keep up my own search. I'm very intrigued by this door… That writing is Greek for "Nemesis Tower"."

"Nemesis?" He rubbed his chin. "Hmm… Greek, you say? Iiiiinteresting…"

"Nemesis is the Greek goddess of retribution." Kirishima hummed, deep in thought.

Mayuzumi looked at Jihei. "Hey, Tsutomu knows a ton about the occult and demons and stuff. Wouldn't he be pretty useful? Someone like him would be a big plus, I think."

"Whaaat?!" Ayase pouted at her. "I don't wanna sound mean, but… he's not my type. I say no."

"That's your idea of "not being mean"?" Mayuzumi rose an eyebrow. "Who cares whether or not he's your type?!"

"...Mayuzumi, I'm kinda on Ayase's side." Jihei glanced at him. "Just… look at him."

Mayuzumi sighed. "I gotta admit… he looks more than a little flaky."

"Hey, how 'bout Eriko?" Ayase pointed towards the other girl. "She might be able to translate if we meet foreign demons."

Jihei nodded. "She knows just as much as Kurouri, if not more, too."

"Hmm… You know, she does seem to know about that stuff. Yeah, that could work." Mayuzumi nodded.

Kirishima looked towards them, making her way over, with that same forced smile as usual. "Excuse me, but… what were you talking about just now? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard my name come up."

"Oh, we were just saying you probably know a lot about demons." Mayuzumi turned to look at her. "Jihei was saying you even know more than Tsutomu."

"Oh!" Kirishima gave him a smaller, slightly more natural smile. "Jay…"

He looked away with a shrug. "Don't mention it. We should just explain what's up, anyway."

Mayuzumi nodded. "Here's what's going on…"

Soon enough, Mayuzumi's explanation was done. Kirishima hummed, a hand up against her chin. "Ahh, so that's how the school became encased in ice. Fascinating… I love stories of monsters and ghosts, but this…"

Jihei frowned. "You feeling okay?"

"Just fine! I just… never imagined I'd witness multiple supernatural events, one after another." She looked to Jihei, a sparkle in her eyes. "Something must be done before it's too late."

"Then join up with us. I'm sure you'll be a big help in saving the school."

"All right!" She nodded, a wide smile on her face. "Let's search for the Mirror Shards and save Ms. Saeko."

* * *

The next room Jihei found himself entering was the infirmary. Looked like Nanjo was still here, as was Ms. Sonomura and Nurse Yoshino… Well, at least they weren't thrown around in this mess.

"Don't you take off that bandage, Kei!" First thing he heard was Nurse Yoshino's chiding voice. "Your wound will reopen!"

"No worries." Nanjo shook his head. "The way that bandage was applied, it served no purpose anyway."

"Hmph…" She put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me for being a little bit of a butterfingers."

"Well, if you'll excuse me…" He turned, coming face to face with Jihei's group.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Nurse Yoshina stepped forward, a frown on her face. "Don't tell me you're going outside…!"

Another student in the infirmary nodded. "Yeah, c'mon, Nanjo. You're just gonna get hurt again! Besides… We've been all over campus and we couldn't find any ways out. We can't leave the school!"

"Hm?" He turned his head back to look at her. "What are you babbling about? This isn't the time to share your daydreams."

He made for the door, only for Ayase to cut him off with a huff. "She's not! It's totally true! The Snow Queen trapped us all in here."

"The Snow Queen?" Nanjo rose an eyebrow. "Is it April First already? You can devise a better lie than that. I haven't time to waste on fools. Now, kindly step aside."

"She's right, Kei. There's no exit." Mayuzumi stepped in then.

Nanjo sighed, pushing his glasses up. "Yukino, not you too-" A pause before his eyes widened. "Wait… Has the phenomenon we saw at the hospital reoccurred here?!"

"I'm afraid so." Kirishima nodded. "With one important difference… There are no demons here, but no way out either."

Nanjo bit his lower lip. "...I'm worried for Masao and Maki. I must get outside at any cost."

"Maki…" Ms. Sonomura spoke up at that point. "Is there really no exit? I wonder if there's something we can do…"

"Turns out, there is." Mayuzumi nodded. "But we need help."

Nanjo rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ayase sucked in a deep breath. "Okay, here goes…"

An explanation from Ayase (with the help of Kirishim and Mayuzumi) later, and Nanjo had his hand on his chin. "Hm. I see."

"Glad you're ready to role with it…" Jihei couldn't imagine asking someone more emotional like Uesugi…

"If we save Ms. Saeko from this so-called Snow Queen, the school will be restored. And you're expecting me to help?" He looked at Jihei.

He nodded. "You're calm and collected, that's sure to come in handy, Nanjo."

Nanjo hummed. "Very well. If you insist, I suppose I can lend a hand. We'll take care of this, then Maki."

"Sounds good to me." Jihei scratched his chin. "Now what, though…? Do we just… head to the towers?"

Nanjo held up a hand. "Incidentally, I heard there was a disturbance in the cafeteria. We may find a clue there."

"Alright, then…" Mayuzumi turned to the door. "Let's go."

* * *

"H-Hey, Toro! I'm sorry for hiding the food from you…" Jihei entered to Uesugi holding up his hands, as if worried Yokouchi was about to knock him out or something. "Just please don't eat any more! You're gonna waste it all!"

"I'm sorry, man. I thought if you found it, you'd gobble it all up." Another student spoke up, voice shaking. "The whole school's in trouble! We have to ration the food! You gotta understand…"

"Sh-shut up! Why's everyone make fun of me?!" Yokouchi's voice was nearly a sob. "I know you were sharing the food without telling me! That's it, this food's mine!"

Uesugi fell to his knees in overdramatic fashion. "Nooo! Our precious, precious food! One guy goes crazy from rejection and we all starve to death now!? How can my charmed life end this way!? Croaking alongside a fatso..."

Jihei wanted to tell Uesugi to watch how he talks about others, but now may not be the time… Maybe after he had a chance to try and calm down Yokouchi…

But then Yokouchi let out a yell. "Y-Y-Y-YOU SAID THE F-WORD! DON'T CALL ME FAT!" Damn, Jihei knew he didn't like being called that, but his reaction seemed more...extreme than he was expecting. "DAMN YOU ALL!

"Yokouchi, come on…"

"I'm gonna eat and eat and eat before I die! I'll stuff myself!" He wasn't listening to Jihei, now ranting and raving. "Then I'll watch the rest of you collapse one by one!"

"H-Hey, Brown…" The male student from before hid being Uesugi. "He's completely lost it. What do we do?"

"D-don't ask me!" He pointed an accusing finger towards Ayase. "Man, Yuka, this is your fault for rejecting him!"

"Excuse me!?" Ayase stomped her foot on the ground. "What's with blaming me for this all of a sudden!?"

"Only one thing to do…" Mayuzumi shook her head, readying her razors. "Knock the poor bastard out cold."

Yokouchi began to laugh, shoulders shaking. "No way! Not gonna happen! Wanna know why? 'Cause the butterfly gave me a demon!" He looked towards Ayase. "I'm not just a butterball anymore, Yuka!"

"Uh… a demon?" Uesugi grimaced as he stood. "Wow, sounds like his mind snapped along with his heart."

What?!" Kirishima gasped. "Does he mean a Persona…?"

"I'll grab a teacher!" The boy turned for the door and ran. "Keep an eye on him, I'll be right back!"

"Hey, Boss!" Uesugi turned towards Mayuzumi. "I don't think he'll come to his senses without a swift kick in the butt."

"Who're you calling "Boss"!?" She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "You're such a clown…"

"I think that's his whole deal, Mayuzumi…"

She shot Jihei a look before looking back to Yokouchi. "Sure, I'll try that if nothing else works. For now, let's buy us some time until the teacher gets here!"

Jihei nodded, preparing himself. "Let's do this."

"Hey, Hidehiko, you listening?" Mayuzumi gestured with her chin for him to join the group of five. "Quit standing around and give us a hand!"

He gave one of his ridiculous laughs. "...I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"

As Uesugi joined the group, Yokouchi let another unhinged laugh escape his lips. "No one can stop me now!"

"Kenta!" Nanjo shook his head. "You must calm down! Once the city returns to normal, I'll treat you to our chef's special dishes!"

"Toro, why're you doing this!?" Ayase frowned at him. "You're like, making me look like the bad guy here!"

"Aaah, my darling Yuka!" He held a hand out to the kogal. "I'll save you, and only you… if you promise to go out with me. I'll even save you some food!"

"Uh-uh." She shook her head, sticking out her tongue. "No way. Not in a million years."

He let out another anguished yell, shaking his head. "DAMMIT! DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! I'M… I'M…!"

"D-Don't get him mad!" Mayuzumi put a hand on Ayase's shoulder. "You're too blunt, Yuka… I bet you were just as cold to him when he said he loved you!"

"Eh, not really." She shook her head. "I just told him the truth. All I said was like…"

* * *

_"Okay, what's this super important thing you had to tell me?" Yuka approached Toro in the cafeteria. "I'm, like, busy!"_

_"Y-Y-Yuka…" He was stuttering like a tooootal loser, oh no. "Um… um… I'm, um… I'm sorry for, um, asking you to meet me here."_

_"Geez, speak up already!" She turned on her heel. "If you're not saying anything, I'm out. Seeya!"_

_"W-wait! There is something! I'll tell you right now." Toro swallowed hard as Yuka turned to look at him, tapping her foot against the ground. "...Are you ready?"_

_"Like, spit it out already!" She was getting more impatient by the second. "I got people waiting on me!"_

_"...Yuka… I… I-I-I-I..." A deep breath and Yuka had to resist the urge to roll her eyes._

_"You… what?"_

_"I LOVE YOUUUUU. I… I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUUUUUUCH!" He put his hands together in front of his chest. "P-P-P-P-Please go out with me! I p-p-p-promise I'll make you hippy… I, I mean, happy."_

_"...No. Way." Yuka shook her head. "Like, have you seen yourself in a mirror? Alright, I'm out, laters." She turned on her heel and made for the door when Toro called out._

_"W-Wait! Please!" He was sniffling, ugh… "Why not? What's so bad about me?"_

_She turned back to him. "Let's see, you're fat, slow, wear the same clothes every day, laugh at everything… And I've never seen you do anything but eat, sleep, and read manga." She shook her head. "I like, don't get what keeps you going. Everything about you sucks!"_

_"H-How can you be so mean…?" Tears were prickling at the edge of his eyes, and all Yuka wanted to do was get out of here. "Well… what do YOU like, Yuka? You laugh when you aren't happy, you hang out with people you think are stupid… Are you scared to be alone?"_

_No one had been able to so easily read Yuka like that, and her face reddened with anger and embarrassment. "Sh-Shut up! Stop acting like you got it all figured out, butterball!" She turned on her heel and ran out of the room, steaming…_

_She barely heard and didn't even care when she heard a whimper of "butterball…?' from the room._

* * *

"Small wonder Kenta was furious." Nanjo shot Ayase a look. "As they say, "Evil comes from the mouth"... You went too far, Yuka. Apologize to him!"

"Oh man… What have you done?!" Uesugi clung to Nanjo's sleeve, much to his chagrin. "Quick, do what Nanjo said and apologize! It's not too late! Say you're sorry!"

"Went to far…" Ayase looked at the boys. "I did? Really?!" She turned her gaze to Yokouchi. "Uh, did the truth really hurt that bad, Toro?"

Yokouchi let out a sob. "My darling Yuka… How could you…? You'll pay for stomping all over my pure innocent heart… Mr. Demon… Oh, Mr. Demon! Come out! Come out and punish the people who keep making fun of me!"

He began chanting and Jihei rose an eyebrow. "That's… a unique way to summon a Persona…"

Kirishima nodded, worry clear on her face.

"Whoa whoa whoa, what's the chanting about?" Uesugi furrowed his brow. "This isn't some manga…"

Ayase tilted her head to the side, unimpressed. "You're in high school! Stop dreaming about Mr. Demon and…"

Yokouchi began to groan, grasping his stomach. "It's coming out!"

And then the demon, be it his Persona or not, came popping out… Jihei frowned when he saw it. It was veiny, a pinkish color… The head of it looked like a… Oh, why had he had to say it was coming out?!

"Whoa!" Mayuzumi took a step back. "What's with him!?"

Ayase began to nervously laugh, biting her lip. "S-Sorry, Kenta. Is, uh, it too late to apologize?"

Yokouchi, totally out of it at this point, began to laugh. "It's much, much, much, much, much too laaaaate. Eat THIS!"

He sent fire attacks flying towards Jihei and Mayzumi, both of them dodging in the nick of time. Mayuzumi grimaced, teeth grinding together. "Dammit… How dare you!?"

She threw her razors, but they bounced right off the demons teeth. The teeth thrashed together again, an Agi spell going right for Ayase… Thankfully, it missed the non-Persona user and-

Wait, she had a Persona, too?! She had played the game, Jihei guessed…

"Yikes! Huh?" Ayase blinked. "What the- What NOW?!"

And then Uesugi went and awoke to one too, well damn… Six Persona users against three towers, not a bad number…

"Whoa whoa whoa… What IS this thing!?" Uesugi shook his head. "I didn't give it permission to come out of me like that!"

Oh did he have to say it like that after they'd seen Yokouchi's Mr. Demon…?

"Whaa…?" Uesugi was patting his chest, eyes wide. "Something just came outta me to say hi."

Ayase frowned. "What is the world was that...?"

"They don't seem to be hostile; at least, not for now…" Kirishima hummed, looking between the two and Yokouchi's unconscious body.

"We've decided to call them Personas." Nanjo added, also a bit on guard about the unconscious boy.

Mayuzumi hummed, looking across the group. "Looks like our little squad's getting bigger."

Uesugi rose an eyebrow. "Uh… squad?"

"Huh? Ayase blinked. "You mean you and Jihei are like, you know… and stuff?"

"I'm… not sure what you're trying to say, but…" Nanjo squinted at Ayase. "There's definitely a commonality between us."

"Yeah, after those weird dreams we can summon… Personas, was it?" Mayuzumi looked to Jihei for confirmation.

"That's what Nanjo said, I think…"

"I just said it, you two…"

Kirishima cleared her throat in an attempt to keep them all on track. "For some reason, only those who dreamed of the butterfly acquired the power. It also seems its related to the demon invasion somehow..."

"Wait a sec, Toro was using a Persona, right?" Ayase held her hands up. "Did he have that dream, too?"

Kirishima thought for a moment. "Yes, that's the most likely explanation."

"Omigod!" She put her hands on her head. "I don't believe it! No… no, it can't be! That thing's gonna come out of my tummy, and I'll go berserk!?"

"Er…" Kirishima gave Jihei a concerned look. "I don't think so. It's all in how you use it. Take a knife, for example. It can be a valuable tool in the kitchen, or a weapon in the battlefield. What it does is determined by the user."

"As Eriko said." Nanjo nodded. "The power's application varies between each individual. Another example is dynamite. It can kill, but it can also be used to blast open a tunnel. If you use it for personal gain, you'll reap what you sow."

"Alright…" Uesugi chuckled. "I'll be fine then."

"You seem certain…" Jihei wasn't as sure.

After a moment, Uesugi continued, ignoring Jihei. "Oh, duh! I know exactly what that butterfly wants me to do! It made me a hero so I could save the school - and the city!" More hyena-like laughs. "Alright... If you guys really need me thaaaat much… I guess I can pitch in. Follow my lead!"

Nanjo shook his head. "How naive…"

"Well, if he wants to come, fine with us. Right, Jihei?"

"Right." The more help, the better.

"Jihei…" She looked between him and Uesugi, the look on her face telling Jihei all he needed to know. "You really, actually want Hidehiko along?"

"Why not? He could be a good meat shield."

"Say what!?" Uesugi was pouting now. "C'mon guys! I know you want me tagging along! No need to hide it!"

His peace sign was met with raised eyebrows from the rest of the group.

"What are you doing?" Mayuzumi finally spoke up. "Quit moping around! We're leaving!"

"Y-Yes, Boss!"


	3. Dream World

When Jihei stepped into what was the fencing club, he was greeted by Uchida and Satomi arguing, as always. Even in a situation like this they could argue, huh…? He wished he could be like that.

"There they go again." Mayuzumi let out a sigh. "Don't those two ever get tired of fighting with each other?"

Jihei shrugged. "No clue, maybe it's a hobby for both of them now."

"Lame hobby."

"Hm…" Kirishima approached the door, hand running across writing on it. "Hypnos Tower… Hypnos is the Greek god of sleep. That doesn't sound so scary, does it?"

"The temperature is making me sleepy…" Nanjo shook his head. "No, no, that's not good."

Ayase and Uesugi snickered, sharing a look. "You're, like, letting what Eriko said get to you!"

"Totally… Sleepy when the door leads to some god of sleep?" Uesugi stuck his tongue out. "Lame."

"Why you two…!"

Jihei rolled his eyes, already getting kinda annoyed. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"What the... Who's that on the floor?" Mayuzumi's eyes widened as they stepped into the room. On the ground, there was a classmate and staff member Jihei knew well enough. "Tamaki and Nurse Natsumi!?"

"Whoa, didn't expect to see anyone we knew here…"

"What are they doing here? Weren't they back at the school?" A gasp escaped Mayuzumi as dots connected. "No way…!"

"It took some time, but regular students are being claimed as victims…" Nanjo shook his head. "I pity them, but there isn't time to waste. We could be next."

"Tamaki… Nurse Natsumi…" Uesugi shook his head. "How could this happen!? Damn that Snow Queen! I'll avenge their deaths if its the last thing I do!"

"Zzzz… Reiko I'm so glad…" A small snore escape Uchida's form. "Friends…"

"Reiko? Friends? Is she talking in her sleep?" Mayuzumi blinked. "Wait… they're just sleeping!?" She clicked her tongue. "Well, that was a lot of panic over nothing."

"Hypnos Tower…" Kirishima hummed, hand on her lips, eyes going wide. "Hypnos is the god of sleep...! Careful, everyone! These two may have been forced into sleep by the Snow Queen!"

"Look at those faces, though… they seem so happy!" Ayase shook her head. "I dunno if the Snow Queen has anything to do with this."

A snore and giggle from Nurse Yoshino. "Now be a good boy… Clean your plate…"

"Ugh… like, what is she dreaming about?" Ayase stuck her tongue out. "It makes me wanna pinch her nose."

Jihei put a hand on on Ayase's shoulder. "Let's, uh, just move on until I figure out how to wake them up, okay?"

They walked further in, fending off the demons that came for them, until making it to another room like the last. This one held three bodies… Two familiar, and one not so much.

"Great, more of them…" Mayuzumi squinted. "...?! Wait a sec! It's the Principal and VP! Geez… Not setting a very good example."

"This is deplorable!" Uesugi shook his head. "I work my ass off as a student, and what do the teachers do? Lie back and doze off! Get real!"

Kirishima glanced towards the other body. "Is that… Reiji? I didn't think he was still in the school!"

"Hmm. The situation is more serious than I had thought." Nanjo shook his head. "It's clear now that something is causing people in the school to fall asleep. We must locate the cause."

Hanya began to giggle and snore in his sleep, making Ayase back up a step, disgust coloring her features. "Ewww! Baldy's sneering in his sleep… Gross!"

"Oh no, Ms. Ooishi!" Kirishima ran to her side, a frown on her face. "She must be having a nightmare." She glanced towards Kido, brow furrowing. "Reiji, too. They're sweating profusely… Did the Snow Queen cause this?"

"But… that's…!"

"Stay… away…"

Mayuzumi shook her head. "They're just like the people in the other room. None of them show any signs of waking up soon. What should we do?"

"I'm hoping we can find the answer deeper into the place, actually…" Jihei moved towards the door. "If not, we'll come back here in a bit and I'll figure something out."

On they went and Jihei paused at the sight on another door. Would this be more sleeping people or a way to solve their sleep? Only one way to find out… He pushed in and, once again, Mayuzumi was the first to speak.

"What the hell is this place?"

There was a large, colorful door on the other side of the room, drawing Jihei closer and making him feel even sleepier than the rest of the place already had…

Nanjo groaned. "...the drowsiness is practically palpable. Almost overpowering…"

"Huh?" Uesugi snapped his finger, as if realizing something. "Ahhh… I get it! The boss has to be around here! Stay on your toes, guys. Oooh, I always wanted to say that."

Ayase rolled her eyes at Uesugi, before turning her attention to the other side of the room. "Hey, uh, this door is kinda weird-looking. Wanna go in?"

"The door does look suspicious, but I don't get the sense that it's dangerous." Kirishima placed a hand on Jihei's shoulder. "Perhaps we should consider Ayase's suggestion and go through."

"Alright!" Mayuzumi put a hand on his other shoulder. "No use talking and talking without doing anything. Let's see what's on the other side!"

A mysterious laugh and a familiar voice hit Jihei's ears. "Still energetic, I see."

Before much could be said, everything once again went white.

"How are you doing, friends?" The man was once again in front of them. "This is a world of dreams, ruled by the Persona Hypnos of this tower's master. Hypnos is currently trapping people's souls, and confiding them in the Dream World."

So that was what was up with Uchida and all the others…!

"Thus, this is a crossroad between the Dream World and reality. Either go to the Dream World and awaken the people there, or continue forth and defeat Hypnos. The choice is yours… But remember, there is a limit to the time you are given."

Jihei's eyes snapped open and, well… He had an idea. "We're going in."

"What? But we should press on!" Nanjo shook his head. "We don't have time for this…"

"I feel like a Peeping Tom doing this… But if we can save them…" Mayuzumi rubbed the back of her neck. "Might as well, if you think we have time."

"Would this make me Elly in Sumberland…?" Kirishima gave a half-hearted laugh. "Well, we might as well go in."

"Yeah…"

* * *

"Huh?" Mayuzumi's eyebrows rose. "Who has dreams about a convenience store?"

Jihei looked around, eyes finally landing on none other than Nurse Yoshino. So she was the one dreaming about a convenience store… weird.

"So, what do you want for dinner tonight?" She was talking to a man, who Jihei had to guess was her recently-ex boyfriend.

"Anything's fine, as long as it's with you… How was that?" He let out a laugh, arm slung around Nurse Yoshino's shoulders.

"Ah, this must be Nurse Natsumi's dream. Then I assume that's her recent ex." Nanjo hummed. "He's not bad, if not quite on my own level. None too bright, either."

"What're you talking about?" Ayase pushed Nanjo to the side. "Nurse Natsumi's boyfriend is, like, smoking hot! I so wish I had an awesome guy like him."

Jihei focused back on Nurse Yoshino as she playfully slapped her ex's arm. "Oh, you're so funny! Come on, what are you in the mood for? Let's decide quick and check out, so we can get back home and eat."

"Uh, what?" He rose an eyebrow. "Didn't you tell me you were gonna cook for me today, hon?"

"Oh, Nurse Natsumi… Don't tell me she's acting as though she cooks the store's pre-made lunches..." Kirishima cringed away a bit, almost as if pained by seeing this. "I feel sorry for him…"

"Yeah, and I will!" Jihei looked back at Nurse Yoshino to see just how right Kirishima was. "I'll warm it up for you in the microwave once we get to my place. Oh, how about this "Supreme Cutlet Combo"? It says it's their latest item! Sounds delicious, doesn't it? Lets get two of these, honey!"

"Uh… Y-yeah, anything's fine. I can't wait to dig in…" The half-hearted laugh told Jihei all he needed to know.

"This… is painful to watch, in so many ways." Mayuzumi groaned, shaking her head. "Let's wake her up and move on."

"Oh, but this is fantastic!" Kirishima clapped her hands together with a giggle. "To think that the human subconscious can create such a realistic environment! This convenience store looks authentic in every respect!"

"No clerk, no other shoppers…" Nanjo shook his head. "This place is more unsettling than a convenience store at night."

"Don't be scared, Kei!"

"I-I'm not scared!"

As Kirishima and Nanjo began going back and forth, Jihei approached Nurse Yoshino and pinched her, the woman and her dream ex fading away. Well, onto the next dreamer, then.

* * *

"Huh?" Mayuzumi furrowed her brow. "We're… in the principal's office? What the hell…?"

"Vice-Principal Ooishi." Jihei nearly jumped when he heard Hanya say that. What the fuck…? That wasn't right, not at all. "You presume to tell your principal that his educational policies are wrong? Is that what you're getting at, Ooishi?"

She was sweating, looking smaller than ever. "No, Mr. Hanya, I didn't mean it that way. I just think punishing students for being tardy three times with either expulsion… or having to shine the principal's shoes until graduation is a bit… harsh."

Uesugi's jaw dropped. "What the… Hanya is the principal and Ooishi is the vice-principal?!"

"It seems we're witnessing a shared dream of the two… But here, the roles are reversed..." Nanjo sighed. "I'd wager our principal was dragged into that arrogant vice-principal's dream.

"Whaaaat!?" Ayase shook her head. "Baldy's our principal here? That's like, SUPER wrong!"

"Excuse me, Ooishi!?" Hanya's snapping pulled Jihei's attention back to the dreamers. "Did I just hear you criticize the eminently fair rules I came up with? Hmm… I think this calls for a new rule. Anyone who criticizes the principal's decisions is fired! Do you hear me? Fired!"

""Came up with"!?" Ooishi never sounded that annoyed usually, damn… "Do you often "come up" with regulations without putting any thoughts into them!?"

"Vice-Principal Hanya's desire for power must be very strong…" Kirishima shook her head. "Not only does his dream reflect them, it pulled in Ms. Ooishi…"

"S-Silence! What's wrong with coming up with school rules!?" Oh, someone was offended. "I'm the most important person in this school! Why, I'm essentially a god! My word is god's word, the will of the universe! Don't you see!?"

God, why was their vice-principal like this? His being an actual principal would be a nightmare scenario.

"Mr. Hanya!" Ooishi put her hands on her hips. "What do you think the purpose of education is!? To begin with..."

Mayuzumi tapped Jihei on the shoulder, with the expression one with a headache would have. "Let's hurry and wake 'em up. I can't stand listening to this."

"I'd thought the Dream World would be more… romantic." Kirishima shook her head.

"Seeing people's naked desires leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Nanjo looked to the wall. "Go on, hurry up, Jihei."

With that, Jihei approached Hanya and pinched him a bit too hard for what was going on, probably...

* * *

"This doesn't look like any place in Mikage-cho…" Mayuzumi furrowed her brow. "But it's… a music room?"

"Ah, there's Tamaki!" Kirishima pointed, before confusion overtook her face. "That uniform she's wearing, though… From her old school?"

Uchida was indeed wearing a totally different uniform. A blue jacket over a normal white dress shirt. Paired with a (pretty tacky) teal, blue, and white skirt… She wasn't alone, either. Another girl, dressed in the same uniform, sat next to her.

"Reiko, remember, if you ever need anything else, I'm here!" Uchida gave the mystery girl (apparently named Reiko) a smile. "After what happened with your brother, it's the least I can offer."

"Oh, are we getting Tamaki's super secret backstory!?" Uesugi grinned. "Oh, if I know that, I may have a shot with her."

Ayase stuck out her tongue. "No way! Tamaki's, like, so out of your league."

"Thank you, Tamaki…" The Reiko girl spoke. "I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Reiko… I'm so glad we're friends!" She grabbed her hands, smiling from ear to ear. "Promise me it'll stay like this forever?"

"Mmhmm, forever!" Reiko nodded. "I couldn't imagine living on… Not without someone like you being there for me."

"I'd hate to make them break promises, but if we wanna wake Tamaki up, we're gonna have to." Mayuzumi frowned, watching the pair. "Do your thing, Jihei."

Jihei nodded, approaching and pinching Uchida as lightly as he could. "Time to wake up…"

"H-huh? W-why?" Uchida's words just made Jihei feel bad, damn…

But soon enough, she faded away. Well, now all that was left was Kido, huh?

* * *

"Where are we this time…? A house?" Mayuzumi shook her head. "I have no clue what to expect from the Dream World, anymore."

"Is this Reiji's dream…?" Kirishima frowned. "...I-it's quite dark, though I suppose that makes sense for a nightmare…"

"Don't hurt her…" Jihei finally saw where his classmate was standing, arms outstretched. The woman behind him… was that his mother? He'd just met her today, but it looked like her.

Looked like Kido was standing between his mother and a man. A man that looked an awful lot like that Kandori man.

Kido's outstretched hands were shaking, his teeth clenched, and his brow drenched in sweat. He looked terrified , Jihei hadn't thought he was able to be terrified.

"You're a mistake, it's your fault I'm doing this to your mother." The man swung something, hard and metal. "If she'd just gotten rid of you when she had the chance, this wouldn't happen to you and her."

"...Wh-what the heck is this?" Uesugi stepped back a step. "Why is this Reiji's dream…?"

Ayase bit her lower lip. "Looks like he's packing some real trauma… Jihei, what do we do?"

Nanjo said nothing, studying the scene in silence while Jihei thought. Was it safe for him to get close enough to pinch Kido awake…?

"S-shut up! She wouldn't do that and you know it!" Kido's body was shaking now, not just his hands. "She… She…"

"She chose this treatment, then. She chose it, yet you still try and take blows for her…" A man clicked his tongue. "Do you enjoy being scarred? It's pathetic."

"Shut up!"

"Jihei, don't just stand there!" Mayuzumi turned to him, gaze hard. "Wake him up, or I'll do it myself."

He darted forward and pinched Kido, watching as he and the projections of his mind faded. He didn't know what any of this meant, but… He hoped Kido would be okay.

* * *

Jihei thought the trip to the Dream World was over, but when they exited Kido's dream, another door came into view. This seemed to be the deepest part of the area, so… He might as well see what was going on in there, too. There could be a mirror shard, after all.

"What the…?" Mayuzumi looked around with a frown. "This doesn't feel like the other rooms. Is this someone else's dream?"

Jihei began to look around. What was up with this? There was no apparent setting, no apparent scenario-

"...Huh?" Mayuzumi pointed. "Someone's back there!"

Indeed, there was a school girl, glasses on her face. Next to her was a giant figure… A Persona, if Jihei had to guess.

"Oh… We have company…" Her voice was soft as she spoke. "What a surprise."

"Indeed it is." The giant looked at the girl. "Shall we entertain our guests?"

Uesugi let out a whistle. "She's a cutie! Hm…? Wait a sec! Oh man, she's got our school uniform on! How the heck did I never notice a girl like her!?"

Nanjo put a hand to his chin. "Is this her dream, then?"

"Hey, what's your name?" Ayase almost sounded worried for a moment. "Which homeroom are you in? Are you trapped here too?"

She giggled in reply. "...Why are you people here? This dream is for myself alone."

Jihei grimaced. "Do you mean…?"

"The Snow Queen entrusted me with guarding this Hypnos Tower." Just as he feared, dammit… "My name is Kumi Hirose. It's very rude of you to barge into someone else's dream. Isn't it, Sir Hypnos?"

The giant, now named Hypnos, nodded. "Indeed it is. And not just anyone's dream, Kumi, but yours. They don't know their place." He looked back to them. "What would you have me do, Kumi? If it's alright with you, I can teach them a lesson."

"You're guarding this tower?" Kirishima fixed Hirose with a frown. "Then you're putting people to sleep and keeping them in the Dream World… But simply disposing of them entirely would be simple for you. Why have you chosen to imprison their souls in the Dream World instead!?"

She giggled again. "...You can all this way to ask me that?" Hirose shook her head. "But I guess it can't be helped. You're forced to live in the real world, just like the rest. But isn't it clear that people are happiest living in their dreams? They can never be happy in the real world… I'm just helping them see that."

But Reiji… he wasn't drawn into anyone else's dream and his was a nightmare… Was he carrying that much stuff in his psyche that nothing positive came to the forefront? Jihei guessed now wasn't the time to worry about that…

"Isn't that right, Sir Hypnos?"

"Indeed it is, Kumi." Hypnos nodded. "You've done nothing wrong. It's they who are villains. But it is inevitable that they don't understand you. They have no idea what you went through in the real world…" He rested a hand on Hirose's shoulder. "And the joy that filled your heart as you came to the world of dreams. Now, let us show them the cruelty you faced in the real world… And teach them the splendor of dreams!"

"Huh?" Mayuzumi braced herself. "Wh-What's going on!?"

* * *

_"Kumi, I've noticed you haven't been showing up to rehearsal lately. You have the title role in "The Snow Queen," and you're not rehearsing?" The drama club president scowling at Kumi, hands on her hips. "What's the matter with you!? Everyone else is working hard! Do you feel even remotely guilty? Don't you realize how important your part is!?"_

_Of course she did..._

_"Yeah, Kumi!" Another member spoke up. "You can't act like that when you won the Snow Queen part over our president! Aren't you getting a little full of yourself?"_

_"Really, though, we do need you to come to rehearsals." Another member, a bit less harsh (though still not understanding Kumi's pain), spoke up. "We can only do so much with your understudy. Talk to us, Kumi…"_

_"Um… I've had to… s-study…" She bit her lip, looking at the ground. "My grades went down, and… my p-parents said to forget the club… and study…"_

_"Oh, geez!" The first club member rolled her eyes. "Here we go again with the class genius's parents! What a load of crap. You were third in our grade for that last test, right? How can you call that bad!?"_

_"Um… I wasn't…" She sucked in a breath, thinking of all her parents expectations on her shoulders. "N-number one…"_

_"Oh, give me a break! What, is that sarcasm or something?" She shook her head. "Just 'cause you're smarter than most doesn't mean you can act all stuck up! If studying's so important, then go ahead and quit the club!"_

_No, that wasn't it…! It was her parents expectations! She couldn't let them down…_

_"I'm not gonna mince anymore words… You've been a real pain in the ass!"_

_"I… I didn't mean to…" She just wanted to keep her father happy…_

_"Alright, so you told us why you haven't been coming." The president clapped her hands together. "But listen, Kumi… Are you taking this club seriously? Do you understand how many people it affects when you don't show up? Do you know how much trouble it causes when you focus on your own business?"_

_She bit her lip, almost hard enough to make it bleed. It wasn't just her business! It was her parents, too…_

_"Kumi… can you tell me your role in this club? Because if you don't know, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_

_"Yeah, she's absolutely right!" One of the members nodded. "You heard her! Get outta here! Stupid, stuck-up dork… Having a depressing loner like you around brings us all down!"_

_The other gave her a pity-filled look. "I'm sorry, but the president has a point. You should think carefully, Kumi. What's more important: your life or your grades?"_

_Kumi gripped the edge of her skirt. She didn't know how to reply…_

_…_

_"...Are you still up fooling around with that script, Kumi?" Her father's voice made her flinch. "Refresh my memory, what are you going to school for again? To study? Or to fool around?"_

_"U-Um… it's just… the "Snow Queen," see…" She swallowed hard. "I was pick-"_

_"Yes, your mother told me. Apparently you scored in the 70s on some tests lately?" Her father sounded disgusted with her. "You get those low scores because you don't study. You just fool around all the time."_

_"But-" Words almost caught in her throat. "My average was eighty-"_

_"I gave up drinking and smoking, as much as I loved them…" Great, he was using his own choices against her again… "And I quit playing golf on weekends so I could make more money. Who do you think that's for!? I'm providing for you and your mother, aren't I!? You're attending school now because your father is working himself to death."_

_She looked down, gripping her skirt hem. "...I know, Father."_

_"But you still don't even think about what I'm going through… Instead, you get lost in some club and never spend a moment studying."He looked down at, no, on her. "You're in the wrong here, Kumi."_

_…_

_"...Why is everyone cross at me?" She stared up at the ceiling. "What did I do? Whether I do or don't do anything, it's always like that… All of them… The world around me. The people around me. Everyone's so… full of hostility… I feel like I don't have any freedom..."_

_She closed her eyes, tried to fight back tears. The world, it was so cruel…_

_"Do I have to exist in this reality with all these other people…?" She was so tired of it. "If only there was a gentle world… filled with gentle people… A whole world full of kindness and generosity… where I could be free..."_

_But that would never happen._

_"Some dream, huh?" She turned on her side, still fighting back the pain in her heart. "Yeah, a dream… that only happens when I'm asleep in this bed… It's the only free world I have left, where no one complains about me… The world of dreams… I wish I could just live there..."_

_Her eyes closed even tighter._

_"In my dream world, made only for me…"_

* * *

"Huh…" Mayuzumi put a hand on her hip. "That's what made you shut yourself up in the Dream World… And?"

"Th-That's all you can say, even after seeing what happened?" Her brow furrowed in anger. "H-How dare you!? The Snow Queen… that mask immediately understood my pain and anguish…!"

"Hirose, listen-"

She shook her head, cutting Jihei off. "Y-You're just like my father and the others in the drama club! You don't even try to understand me!"

"K-Kumi!" Hypnos placed a hand on her shoulder. "You must calm yourself!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Nanjo rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"C'mon, Kumi, aren't you taking it all a little too seriously?" Uesugi rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, life's full of fun stuff! You gotta take it easy, live a little! Like me!"

Ayase snorted. "Gimme a break! You just did that so you could brag about your awesome grades! So what if I'm stupid!? Ohhh, I cannot BELIEVE this! I'm like, SO pissed!"

"But… but…!" Kumi's lower lip wibbled. "What could I do? No matter what I did or didn't do, no one gave me a hint of praise! I tried my best, I really did! But everyone around me just…" She looked towards Hypnos, eyes desperate. "Right, Sir Hypnos!? None of it was my fault, right!?"

"Indeed, Kumi. You've done nothing wrong!" He turned to look at the group. "It's clear who's at fault…"

Kirishima hummed. ""The others," right? Your life seems very easy… Any problem of yours is solved by blaming someone else from a safe distance. Are you that afraid of dealing honestly with other people?" She shook her head. "I must say, you seem rather weak and selfish to me."

"Wh-Who do you think you are!?" Kumi put her hands to her chest. "I'm happy now! I've never been happier! It was the Snow Queen's mask and Sir Hypnos who saved me, no one else! For the first time in my life, I'm free, here in the Dream World! It may not be real, but the happiness I feel inside is!"

"It's all right!" Hypnos began to rub calming circles onto her shoulder. "Kumi… it's all right. Let's dispose of them. Then we can return to the bliss of dreams, just the two of us."

"Yyyyeah…" mayuzumi shook her head. "I'm gonna call that bluff. This is the Dream World, right? Then both of you are just part of Kumi Hirose's dream. I'm guessing the real Kumi is somewhere else in the tower."

"Oh…" Jihei nodded. "That's true…"

Mayuzumi nodded, pointing at Hypnos. "That means if we pinch her and wake her up, you're history. So that's exactly what we'll do! Shake off those cobwebs and wait for us, 'cause we're on our way!"

But Jihei simply turned away… if Kumi ruled this tower, he'd rather not piss her off by waking her up. Besides, Hypnos wasn't making a move to attack. For now, he would go see if those sleeping people had woken up.


End file.
